Friday,
January 29, 1999
* Patent non-issue
Babak writes: While I appreciated the spirited
defense of the Arabo-Persian script by the author ["No thanks"], I wonder who on earth brought the subject up
in the first place. I see some of these Iranians living in the West pondering
such questions, and think how ridiculous and pathetic they are. They are
in no position to make the decision, one way or the other.
Furthermore, it is only the residue of the Pahlavi
regime that escaped to the West that have this distaste for their own Middle
Eastern background (have any of them actually looked at themselves in the
mirror, saw that they had big noses and dark curly hair and screamed, realizing
they were far from European or Aryan??). Changing the script is a patently
non-issue.
While I appreciated the spirited defense of the
Arabo-Persian script by the author ["No
thanks"], I wonder who on earth brought
the subject up in the first place. I see some of these Iranians living
in the West pondering such questions, and think how ridiculous and pathetic
they are. They are in no position to make the decision, one way or the
other.
Furthermore, it is only the residue of the Pahlavi
regime that escaped to the West that have this distaste for their own Middle
Eastern background (have any of them actually looked at themselves in the
mirror, saw that they had big noses and dark curly hair and screamed, realizing
they were far from European or Aryan??). Changing the script is a patently
non-issue.
Babak
University of California, Los Angeles
(Back to top)
Thursday
January 28, 1999
* Foreign interference no myth
While I must admit that conspiracy theories is prevalent in popular
Iranian culture, I was surprised that Guive Mirfendereski in "The
blame game" cited the American-organized coup against Mossadegh
as one such example.
Putting aside the issue of whether Mossadegh's goverment would have
survived with or without the coup, it is well recorded by both American
and British archives that the events leading to the overthrow of Mossadegh
were directly orchestrated by the American Embassy with the aid of unscrupulous
Iranians who were paid handsomely.
I knew the Iranian who was the head chef in the U.S. Embassy in those
days. He said that the night before the anti-Mossadegh demonstrations began,
there were stacks of rials piled chest high in the basement for use the
following day.
Although it is a sad testament to us that we can be manipulted so easily
- there can be no doubt that foreign powers (chiefly Americans, British
and Russians) have succeeded on more than one occasion in direct interference
in Iran's internal affairs.
Maijd Abedi
abedi@vengen.com
(Back to top)
Wednesday
January 27, 1999
* Shared oil
Mr. Mirfendereski as usual is great in choosing the right topic in the
right time ["Pretend
we have no oil"]. I agreed with most of his article except for
the part when he wrote: "A barrel of oil left in the ground is one
saved for future."
I am not sure but many of Iran's oil reseves in south and the Caspian
Sea are shared by other countries as well. It is a good possibility we
lose all our oil even if we stop production in many locations. I hope I
am wrong! Would some petrolium engineer comment in this regard?
Thank you Mr. Mirfendereski for your contribution.
G.H. Massiha
massiha@usl.edu
(Back to top)
* Key az roo miri?
[Letter
to Googoosh:]
Salaam. Raasti khejaalat nemikeshi? Key az roo miri?
Ansaar Hezbollaah
Eslami_M@hotmail.com
(Back to top)
Tuesday
January 26, 1999
* Only an accident
I like to make a comment about Jerome Clinton's following comment about
Rostam
and Sohrab:
"However appealing a young man Sohrab is, this decision makes him
an enemy of the shah. And being anenemy of the shah makes him an enemy
both of Iran and of God. As modern readers we are inclined to see Sohrab's
desire to overthrow Afrasiyab and Kay Kavus and replace them with the far
worthier figure of Rostam as commendable, as a proto-modern anticipation
of rule by merit rather than inheritance. But the Shahnameh is the
Book of Kings. It has as its the fundamental belief that, for good or ill,
Iran will endure for so long as it is ruled by a line of divinely appointed
shahs."
I may be wrong, but Mr. Clinton seems to be portraying Rostam as one
who would have slain his own son, to punish Sohrab for his military undertaking
against the Shah. He fails to make it clear that Rostam was devastated
by the accidental murder. I have read the original poem, not Mr. Clinton's
book, and I got the impression that Rostam would have nurtured and helped
his own son, had he known who he was.
Sohrab's mother, had appointed an entrusted brave warrior to pass on
the message to Rostam, and avoid a father-son confrontation. That warrior
was also accidentally killed by Rostam, when Rostam was spying on Sohrab's
camp. The tragedy is that neither the son or the father wanted this ending,
and only a very unfortunate and complicated sequence of events led to a
"patricide."
In short, I do not think Ferdowsi had an underlying message, arguing
or justifying the preservation of royalty. He was simply reciting a grand
tragedy with epical proportions.
Babak Honaryar
babak_honaryar@hp.com
(Back to top)
Monday
January 25, 1999
* Mixed message
I myself am an advocate of freedom of speech and
expression, but I was shocked to see that you have linked to the Mojahedin radio station.
I persume, "The Iranian Times" just
like any other reliable news source tries to go through all efforts to
remove biases or propoganda. You may be well aware that the United States
recognizes the Mojahedin Khalq as a terrorist organization and by linking
to their radio station may, for some, give a mixed message that "The
Iranian Times" supports terrorism.
I am guessing that "The Iranian Times"
does not support the MKO and simply linked to their site because the site
was Iranian and on the internet, but I think in this case it would have
been wise for you to at least write a short disclaimer directly above the
link in the email. This would make clear the position of "The Iranian
Times."
I appreciate your time. Keep up the good work.
Ashkan Yekrangi
Webmaster CyberIran
cyberiran@home.net
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Friday,
January 22, 1999
* Not Without My Daughter II
It seems like the pictures you choose for the
cover of The Iranian ["Two-colored
lollipop"] do not necessarily tell something
about your favors for or against the subject of the picture, but they have
more to do with being somehow related to Iran.
Therefore, let me suggest that you have a photo
of Betty Mahmoody ready for the next cover; I think she, too, has once
written something about Iran.
Ataollah Togha
(Back to top)
Thursday
January 21, 1999
* Royal fake
The travel diary excerpts posted on your web site courtesy of Par
magazine is a fake ["Qebleye
Alam"]! I believe both The Iranian and Par owe it
to their readers to separate fiction from non-fiction, specially when it
comes to historical events.
I have to give it to Par though, for the piece seemed quite authentic.
But anybody with a slight knowledge of that era would immediately discern
its ficticious nature.
S. Zahedi
Szahedi@ENG.CI.LA.CA.US
NOTE: Since publishing this piece last week, we have learend through
the editor of Par that indeed the true author is Mr. Jalaleldin
Khaleqi and not his Royal Highness. Mr. Khaleqi's name was noted as the
author in Par's index, but not above the article itself.
(Back to top)
Wednesday
January 20, 1999
* One thumb up
Really funny! ["National
crisis"] Enjoyed it . I would have said "two thumbs up"
(well maybe one, gholov cheraa?) but I was afraid it might be interpreted
as a Persian thumbs up! Keep up the good work.
Mohsen Pourett
mpourett@mhs.oklaosf.state.ok.us
(Back to top)
* Lengesh kon
[Regarding "Just
pretend we have no oil"], it's easy to sit outside and say "lengesh
kon." does this self-professing economist have a plan that would work
to get the country out of its dependency on oil and into an industrial
track?
Agar mardeh, why doesn't he outline a plan to achieve this jump within
the confines of the current social, economic atmosphere?
Ajayebi
AJAYEBI@aol.com
(Back to top)
Tuesday
January 19, 1999
* Stupid, disgusting
Tell Hamid Taghavi that his "The
Sub Man" was by far the stupidest, most wasteful, useless, and
disgusting piece of writing (if you can call it that) I've ever read. The
attempt to stereotype the school kids, asking foolish questions and making
useless (unfunny) remarks..... Really!! You ought to have better writers
than that.
A Persian-American Math Teacher
Hamid Tadjvar
allende@asuwlink.uwyo.edu
(Back to top)
* JAG star speaks Farsi?
I just read Armin Alaemani's article entitled, "JAGged,"
and I am not very sure if Catherine Bell can really speak Farsi. My father
first pointed out that "the pretty woman on that JAG show was actually
speaking Farsi last night!"
I finally got to see a rerun of the show. However, I noticed that everytime
Ms. Bell spoke Farsi, her voice sounded completely different - as if someone
was dubbing her lines and she was lip synching. I hope this was just my
imagination, because I think it would be awesome to have a few role models
on TV with Iranian backgrounds - especially one who is as beautiful as
Ms. Bell ;-)
Mehrdad Modjtahedi
(Back to top)
Monday
January 18, 1999
* My vicotry
I am glad that you realized that I tried to show
the "domal"s of our culture without hiding behind symbols ["In the Ring"]. You are absolutely right; almost in all situations
concerning Iranian women, defeat is certain. But, the enlightenment of
even one mind is a victory: that is my victory.
Shirindokht Radi
khorshid@1connect.com
(Back to top)
Friday,
January 15, 1999
* The good guys & the bad guys
I want to commend Ali Nikseresht's letter, "Not the Arabian
OR Persian Gulf." It's about time someone
brought this issue to the surface. I don't want to reiterate his points
here, but here in America you have a media and an entertainment industry
that's quick to point out who the good guys and the bad guys are. America
and its military, of course, are the good guys. And everyone who hasn't
yet made peace with Israel is the bad guy.
It's sad how Americans -- educated and uneducated
alike -- can't see beneath the surface. I had an uncle who worked for U.S.
Air Force intelligence (point should be made that he only joined the Air
Force because he needed money for college), and he was told by his own
superiors that everything that the U.S. does overseas is underlined solely
by America's natural interests; whatever serves their interests. Which
of course, makes sense.
But people actually think the United States does
what it does because of moral obligations, which is completely ridiculous
and in fact laughable. Morality means nothing to the U.S. government or
its military. As Mr. Nikseresht said, they do what they want, where they
want, and when they want. They go into another country and tell the government
of that country that they cannot fly their planes in their own airspace
(never mind the legal basis of it), and then have the audacity of riding
the moral high horse for doing so.
The U.S. regularly condemns other countries, especially
Iran, for developing and amassing "weapons of mass destruction,"
but never says a thing to Israel -- a country with not just a large stash
of their own dangerous weapons but also a country with one of the worst
human rights records in the world.
I am an Iranian who has grown up in America all
my life, but I'm not stupid. All you need to do is to get your information
from the right sources and keep your eyes and ears open to know what's
going on in the world; and then and only then will it emerge who the good
and bad guys really are.
Nariman Neyshapouri
narim7@hotmail.com
(Back to top)
Thursday
January 14, 1999
* Iraqi pilot showed mercy toward Shirazis
Reading the introduction to the article titled "Kuzestan
in San Diego", I was reminded of an Iraqi whom I met in Pittsburgh
through a good friend, who also happens to be Iraqi. His name was Adnan
and he had sought asylum in the U.S. after being captured by the American
forces during the Persian Gulf War. He had escaped from Saddam's army but
not before being shot in the back as he fled. Fortunately, due to his great
physical stamina he had made it alive to make it to the American (Saudi)
border to surrender. However, it was not his ordeal that left an impression
on me, but rather his uncle's, about which he told me as soon as I told
him that I was originally from Shiraz.
During the Iran-Iraq War, Adnan's uncle had been a pilot for the Iraqi
Army. His last mission had been to bomb a bridge in Shiraz, but when his
plane had neared the target, he noticed a large number of people on the
bridge. So he started firing into the air with the hopes of warning the
people and dispersing them from the bridge. However, the people remained
in place and after circling for a few minutes, Adnan's uncle decided to
return to Iraq without dropping his bombs. Unfortunately, upon landing
in Iraq, Saddam had Adnan's uncle executed for disobeying orders and not
carrying out his mission.
Mehdi Ghajarnia
megst20+@pitt.edu
(Back to top)
Wednesday
January 13, 1999
* In spite of
Stumbled onto your site. I lived in Tehran from '70 to '73 as a child.
I have fond memories of the country. Thanks for the images. They brought
back good times "IN
SPITE" of...
Julian Vail
jvail@w3gm.com
(Back to top)
Tuesday
January 12, 1999
* Rajavi & his "lunatic cult"
[In reply to Roshanravan's
letter],
After reading your
letter posted in The Iranian, I was astonished to notice your
mentioning of the so-called "egg-throwers." You see, the Iranian
people are not stupid. There is a distinction between traitors that cozy
up with Saddam (during the war years and even today) and the people that
are struggling to change the nature of Iranian society.
We have a chance with Khatami, we have our hopes with Khatami. No matter
how much the Iranian exile community today hates the Islamic Republic,
we will never ever consider Rajavi, his lunatic cult, and their Iraqi overlords
as a possible alternative.
Mahmoud-Reza Hussaini
hussaini88@hotmail.com
(Back to top)
* Wonderful "Scenes"
I just received Tabrizi Zadeh's "Scenes". I bought his CD
after listening to the RealAudio
clips you have on the music page, so thanks for the recommendation.
It's a wonderful album.
D. B. Little
dbl123@peoplescom.net
(Back to top)
Monday
January 11, 1999
* Revolution's secular nature changed
[Regarding H. Jalili's letter: "The
Shah made mistakes...":]
I completely and angrily object to your attempts at glorifying the previous
regime and despising the 78-79 movement. I may agree with you in part,
but would not attempt to forget about the crimes of the past dynasties.
The current reime did steal the revolution from the people and changed
its historical, secular identity. It's hardly any justification for the
ill deeds of the Shah and his N. American supporters.
Hamid Tadjvara
A left-oriented Persian & citizen of the world
allende@asuwlink.uwyo.edu
(Back to top)
Friday,
January 8, 1999
* I can feel the sunshine
What a lovely dream ["Abadan:
Back home"]! Whether a dream or just fantacizing,
it is very powerful. The power comes from your strong and sincere feeling
about your town.
I went to Abadan once. That was 23 years ago and
it is still with me. I can feel what you say. I can feel the sunshine in
that picture of Maydan-e Alfi and the world that went passed us which we
miss. Those were the days.
Mehdi Jami
m-jami@email.msn.com
(Back to top)
* Braim, Alfee, Annex, and, and, and...
I particularly liked your Abadan
section. You see, my uncles used to live in Abadan
and Khorramshahr. One of my uncles owned Sina pharmacy on Amiri Street
next to an alley where there was a local merchant named Namakee (anyone
remembers?).
My uncle's name is Dr Hossein Taghaddos. We traveled
many times to Abadan and Khorramshahr (I am from Ahvaz), and I remember
Braim, Alfee, Annex, and, and, and...
I could totally relate to those pictures of birthdays
as I have similar ones from the same era taken in Ahvaz.
Ron Mogadas
mehran_j@yahoo.com
(Back to top)
Thursday
January 7, 1999
* Not the Arabian OR Persian Gulf
Everybody should, from now on, use the proper word for that body of
water between Iran and its southern Arab neighbors - not the 'Arabian'
Gulf, not the British favorite, 'the Gulf', and not the 'Persian Gulf'
either. Rather, we should all remember whose Gulf it is, and has been,
for some years now, and call it by its rightful owners' name: the American
Gulf ["Save
the Squirrels Society"].
The Americans are quite smart - they don't worry about the name of a
place, as long as they own it, as long as they control and inspect and
monitor all navigation through it, as long as they station their aircraft
carriers and naval flotilla in it, and occasionally launch missiles from
it (even if by accident some of these flying messengers of peace, land
in Khorramshahr, or hit a passenger jet, for example) and as long as they
pollute its waters, and go wherever they wish, and do whatever they want.
In short, they are treating it like home, like Chesepeake Bay; so why
not give them some credit for using our collective weakness, and traveling
all the way from half way around the world, to settle in a peace of real
estate, over whose name we have been arguing since time immemorial, while
they and the rest of the 'first' world, have been 'advancing', and keeping
us in the category of 'developing' countries, that for some reason, never
'develop'.
It is their Gulf, and if we want it to be the 'Persian' Gulf, we have
to do more than shout, and learn a lesson from them.
Ali Nikseresht
(Back to top)
* Tehran to Tel Aviv
I don't understand why some people don't see the importance of the Persian
Gulf; they say we have more important things to worry about ["Save the Squirrels
Society"].
No one says the killings in Iran should not be stopped but the Persian
Gulf is important too. Otherwise they will soon start calling Tehran, Tel
Aviv and Bandar Abbass, Port of Arabia.
Bagher R Harandi
AHarandi@aol.com
(Back to top)
Wednesday
January 6, 1999
* Success speaks for itself
this is in response to the thursday, december
17 letter with respect to the
piece which was written about us in amazon.com and later displayed
in the pages of iranian.com. the letter, titled 'deep
crap', was unbelievably negative in tone. we get press clips sent/e-mailed
to us everyday. some are less insightful than others. we refrain from responding
to them directly. but none have been as humorous and ignorant as this recent
comment so we just couldn't resist...
i don't really know how informed or qualified you are about anything
remotely to do with 'legitimate' music but being unpredictable and original
is how we came to land a lucrative recording contract with deconstruction
(UK) and arista (USA) and enjoying the fruits of our labor in the form
of a highly successful and critically acclaimed remixing/producing discography.
not to mention being awarded the best international DJ award at this year's
muzik magazine award ceremony in london where the likes of noel gallagher
(oasis) were presenting. oh, and we also run a successful record company
called yoshitoshi ... FULL
TEXT
Deep Dish
AKA Ali 'Dubfire' Shirazinia & Sharam Tayebi
deepdish@earthlink.net
(Back to top)
Tuesday
January 5, 1999
* Democratic bullies
I went back and re-read both "Where
are the Strategic thinkers?" and "Freedom
not to react." Previously, I had enjoyed reading both. Mr. Roshanravan
expressed his dissatisfaction with those Iranians who had not spoken out
about the recent murders in Iran. Mr. Mirfenderski's commentary made a
few things crystal clear for me. Why are we waiting for intellectuals to
tell us what we should do or think? Why not think for ourselves? I choose
my own opinions and actions. The Iranian revolution of 1979 was supported
by many intellectuals and many followed their views. Is this what they
intended? Have we not learned our lesson in blindly following others? Why
expect others to carry our burden? I should carry my own cross and be responsible
for my own life. I liked his punchline the best: DO IT YOURSELF! Mr. Mirfenderski
also reminded me what freedom and democracy is all about. We have the freedom
to react or not to react ... FULL
TEXT
Shahrzad Irani
irani.s@worldnet.att.net
(Back to top)
Monday
January 4, 1999
* U.S. ambassador? So what?
Why is Mr. Nemazee's
appointment [as U.S. ambassador to Argentina] worthy of a newsflash?
Perhaps because Mr. Nemazee's name is Iranian? What has he done for Iran
and the Iranian community that makes him different than let say other U.S.
ambassadors? I guess he is just as Iranian as my grandfather, who was born
and raised in Dezful, is American.
Morteza Beheshti
morib@hotmail.com
(Back to top)
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